Video systems are commonly used to monitor various commercial or retail locations such as stores, warehouses, athletic facilities, etc. In particular, video systems may be used to monitor different locations within the interiors of such facilities, including high traffic aisles, security sensitive areas, and the like. Such systems may also be used to monitor locations at the exteriors of facilities, such as parking lots, loading docks, external doors, etc.
Depending on the particular type of facility or the location of the facility being monitored, the reasons for video monitoring may be different. For example, video monitoring in a jewelry store may be used primarily for store security, and may help to prevent theft or to identify perpetrators and recover merchandise after a theft has occurred. In a different facility less focused on security and theft prevention, such as an athletic facility, video monitoring may be used primarily for safety purposes or to monitor for overflow capacity of a particular area.
Videos and images can be stored for later retrieval and viewing. For example, surveillance video can be archived in a device that is able to retain and protect the video for an extended period of time from things such as tampering, fire, flood, or vandalism. Archive systems can also protect videos and images from loss due to equipment failure or loss. Such systems may provide backup services, or may employ redundant internal systems to protect against loss due to the failure of one or more subsystems.
Archived videos and images can be selectively retrieved for analysis. For example, video taken of a roadway intersection may be retrieved to view captured footage of an automobile collision for purposes of reconstructing the accident long after the accident has happened. In some implementations, archived videos and images can also be used in legal proceedings. For example, surveillance video of a convenience store checkout may be used as evidence to help prosecute an accused thief by providing evidence that the accused perpetrator was at the premises at the time in question.